Dallas Sierra Club Calendar

Walk and talk while picking up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM this second Saturday of the month at the Love of the Lake office, northeast corner of Garland Road and Buckner Boulevard.  Look for the crowd drinking free juice and coffee.  Gloves, trash bags, etc. will be provided. Our area includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy.  Brunch afterwards.  Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Carol Nash Send Email 214-824-0244

If you need carefully groomed trails for your backpacking adventures this hike is not for you.  If you would like to explore a scenic, seldom visited part of Arkansas and don’t mind stepping off the beaten path this might be just what you’re looking for!  You will be amazed at how different things look from heavily used trails just a few miles away.  We will hike in to Caney Creek Wilderness on the ridgetop Buckeye Mountain trail.  After lunch Saturday we will leave the Buckeye Mountain Trail for an off trail route down into Short Creek where we will camp Saturday night.  Sunday we will hike off trail up Short Creek (without a paddle) and loop back to our trailhead.  We will only cover about five miles each day but the off trail sections will make it seem like more.  Some of the hike up Short Creek follows traces of an old road but there is no trail.  Early in the year brush and brambles should be at a minimum.  Expect a steep climb out of Short Creek. Trip rated: Moderately Strenuous. Leader: Bill Greer Send Email 972-247-0446

Outings leaders, prospective leaders, and people interested in outings are welcome to this monthly gathering (typically on third Wednesdays at 6:30) to plan outings. This month, we're meeting in Community Room B, upstairs at Central Market, SE corner of Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue, 6:30 PM. Bring ideas for where to go and what to do. Ask Mark to be placed on the email list for an agenda.  Organizer: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733

Join us out at the Cedar Ridge Preserve to upgrade some of the beautiful walking trails on the southwest edge of Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75249. It's a great morning workout and the scenery is exceptional. No tools are required (maybe gloves), just show up and be ready to lend a hand or two. We'll work from 9 AM to 12-ish, and then walk around the preserve and admire it! Bring some water for sure. Click here for directions and more information about Cedar Ridge Preserve. If you wish to carpool, let me know and we'll arrange a meeting spot. Come on out and bring your friends and families!  Stay green with us. Trip rated: Easy. Contact: Ginger Bradley Send Email 469-223-7902

Hike one of the most scenic Wilderness trails in Arkansas in the Caney Creek Wilderness of west central Arkansas. Saturday we’ll enjoy the views from the ridgetop Buckeye Mountain Trail. Sunday we’ll hike out along the creek bottoms of the Caney Creek Trail. With any luck the wildflowers will be starting to emerge. This trip is rated moderate and would be suitable for beginners in good shape. Both days cover about 4 1/2 miles. Saturday includes an 800 foot uphill section. We`ll camp Friday night near our cars, Saturday night near a nice little waterfall. Trip rated: Moderate. Leader: Mark Adams Send Email 940-231-8482

Join me in the beautiful Guadalupe Mountains National Park as we climb Guadalupe Peak, hike up to McKittrick Ridge and climb down through the beautiful McKittrick Canyon.  We will move forward to an evening motel in Carlsbad, New Mexico and a walk-in tour of the Carlsbad Caverns, including reservations to explore the Lower Cave the next day.  This trip is rated strenuous because the hike up to McKittrick Ridge is 11 1/2 miles uphill. We will have to carry two days of water as well.  Party is limited to ten hikers. We will car camp at Pine Springs two nights, camp in McKittrick Ridge one night and motel two nights. I like to explore and be pampered. Please call me to discuss the trip and answer your questions. We welcome beginners who are in good shape.

  Trip rated: Strenuous. Leader: Bill Beach Send Email 214-662-3224

Walk and talk while picking up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM this second Saturday of the month at the Love of the Lake office, northeast corner of Garland Road and Buckner Boulevard.  Look for the crowd drinking free juice and coffee.  Gloves, trash bags, etc. will be provided. Our area includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy.  Brunch afterwards.  Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Carol Nash Send Email 214-824-0244

Leave the crowds in the campgrounds. Backpacking enables you to move into backcountry serenity, expanding your mobility to  trails where your car won’t take you. Dallas Sierra Club outings leaders with decades of experience leading multi-day backpacking trips will demonstrate what you need to know to begin or enhance your own backpacking experiences. Topics include gear to take versus leave at home (packs, tents, food and cookware, clothing) and safety and comfort tips.  This class is for both total novices and intermediate level backpackers who want to refresh their knowledge, skills or gear. Class location is the First United Methodist Church, Richardson, 503 N. Central Expressway in Richardson, Room 2A. Click here for directions on reaching the class location from Central Expressway. The class time is 10 AM to 2:30 PM.  Pre-registration isn't necessary; just show up on April 11.  The class fee is $40 or $35 for Sierra Club members.  Please arrive before 10 to register so we can start promptly.  Bring a sack lunch or a drink and a snack.  Contact: Liz Wheelan Send Email 214-368-2306

Outings leaders, prospective leaders, and people interested in outings are welcome to this monthly gathering (typically on third Wednesdays at 6:30) to plan outings. This month, we're meeting in Community Room B, upstairs at Central Market, SE corner of Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue, 6:30 PM. Bring ideas for where to go and what to do. Ask Mark to be placed on the email list for an agenda.  Organizer: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733

Outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and abilities are welcome for this weekend adventure at one of our most scenic state parks. Take your choice of car camping or car camping/backpacking combination. Leave your worries behind and come to relax and have fun in the beautiful landscape bordered by the Colorado River. Pack your camp chair, hiking shoes, bike, kayak, guitar, telescope and croquet set--whatever! This park is four hours from Dallas and the campsite is accessible by car. We'll organize day hikes to Spicewood Springs and Gorman Falls, as well as overnight backpacking options. For details and information about how to sign up, click this link.​ Coordinator: Liz Wheelan Send Email 214-368-2306

Join us out at the Cedar Ridge Preserve to upgrade some of the beautiful walking trails on the southwest edge of Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75249. It's a great morning workout and the scenery is exceptional. No tools are required (maybe gloves), just show up and be ready to lend a hand or two. We'll work from 9 AM to 12-ish, and then walk around the preserve and admire it! Bring some water for sure. Click here for directions and more information about Cedar Ridge Preserve. If you wish to carpool, let me know and we'll arrange a meeting spot. Come on out and bring your friends and families!  Stay green with us. Trip rated: Easy. Contact: Ginger Bradley Send Email 469-223-7902

Enjoy a great outing this Memorial Day weekend. Explore the west edge of the Hill Country from a base at South Llano River State Park, near Junction, Texas. This park has new restrooms with flush toilets, hot water and hot showers!  We've even arranged an option to camp in a motel in Junction.  We've chartered a coach to transport you there Saturday morning and return you by 9:30 PM Monday (Memorial Day). Explore the Caverns of Sonora, historic frontier Fort McKavett and Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area (at twilight, to watch a tornado of three million bats fly from a limestone cave to search for insects). Monday morning you can rent a tube to float the clear South Llano River, hike some of the park's miles of trails, fish or sleep late before the party bus returns to Dallas.  Trip details and registration forms will be published here in mid-March.   Bus trip leader: Annie Wilson Send Email 682-232-4980

Learn to find your way in the wilderness in this comprehensive two-night class. Topics include buying maps, how to read maps, how not to get lost, what to do if you do get lost, different kinds of compasses and how to use your compass. We'll discuss GPS devices, but our main focus will be how to use a map and compass so you're not trusting your navigation (and life) to something that takes batteries. If you have a compass, bring it to the class. If you don't have one, we will have an extra you can use and will show you what to look for when you purchase your own. The class is offered at the First United Methodist Church, Richardson, 503 N. Central Expressway, Richardson, TX, Room 230.  Click here for directions to the location from Central Expressway. The class will start promptly at 6:30 PM and will finish at about 8:45 PM. The total fee for the two-night class is $40 or $35 for Sierra Club members. Handouts are included. Bring a pen or pencil for taking notes and for navigation practice exercises.  A reservation isn't necessary. Just show up. Part 2 of the class is the following night (Thursday, May 28), same time and place. A day hike with a class instructor will be offered to class participants who want to practice their new skills. Contact: Bill Greer Send Email 972-247-0446

Part 2 of the two-night Wilderness Navigation class is tonight at the same place - First United Methodist Church, Richardson, 503 N. Central Expressway, Room 230.  Click here for directions to the location.  The class starts at 6:30 PM and will finish at about 8:45. The fee for the two-night class is $40, $35 for Sierra Club members. Bring a pen or pencil.  Contact: Bill Greer Send Email 972-247-0446

A backpack trip several days in length is a very different experience from a weekend trip.  But entirely too many people restrict themselves to just weekend trips.  Besides taking a leisurely trip to enjoy a newly designated Wilderness area we will try to introduce some new people to the pleasures of a longer trip. 

Our first day we will hike a short distance and spend the night to give ourselves time to adjust to altitude at 8,400 feet.  The second day we’ll travel another 3 ½ miles or so (with a climb of about 1,600 feet) to our base camp in a nice meadow at 10,000 feet.  From there we will have 3 days to dayhike, explore one of my favorite areas, and just enjoy being there.  There are two small lakes (one off-trail) that we can reach and, weather permitting, we might hike to the top of 12,115 foot Lobo Peak.  We’ll spend a total of 6 days and 5 nights in the Wilderness. 

If you want to see what a longer trip is like or just want to enjoy a leisurely trip in a pretty area, come along!  If you want to see how many miles you can cover in 6 days this isn’t the trip for you. Trip rated: Moderately Strenuous. Leaders: Bill Greer Send Email 972-247-0446 and Sue Greer Send Email

Plan now for five days of backpacking into breathtaking country on or below the Continental Divide in the Weminuche and South San Juan Wilderness Areas. Allow time on both ends of the outing for travel. This year we're using private cars and car pools to reach different trailheads in Colorado, north of Chama, New Mexico. Backpackers will gather in Chama for lunch on Sunday, July 19. There's no fee for this trip, but registration in advance and leader consent will be required. Five hike options will be posted in mid-March when registration opens. A previous backpacking experience (Sierra Club or otherwise) is required for this trip. This is a major adventure for 2015.  Trip rated: Strenuous. Coordinator: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733

Backpack in the Questa Ranger District of Carson National Forest or hike and backpack in the Wild Rivers Area of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.  We’ve chartered a bus so you can enjoy these destinations this Labor Day weekend.  Trip options include hiking and camping beside the rapids of the Rio Grande, backpacking to the high meadows of Sawmill Park in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness, hiking to the summit of Wheeler Peak (New Mexico's highest) from a loop route following forks of the Red River, trekking from Taos Ski Valley to massive Gold Hill from a base camp at Bull-of-the-Woods Pasture and backpacking from BOTWP onto scenic Hondo Ridge to descend into the green Columbine Basin. This New Mexico trip will depart on a Friday night and return by sunup on Tuesday.   Contact: Steve Fleischman Send Email 972-689-7317

Mark your calendar now so you can join us for this relaxing weekend among the fall beauty of southeastern Oklahoma. Choice of rustic cabin (shelter with roof and walls) or tent camping. We'll offer several hike options ranging from a one mile nature trail for those just wanting to enjoy the view, to a 7 mile roller-coaster trail up and down and over the skyline ridges. The park also offers many family-friendly activities you can enjoy. Check back in early August for more details and reservation information. This event has sold out in the past so once reservations open, don't wait too long to sign up! Trip rated: Kid Friendly. Coordinator: Liz Wheelan Send Email

Circle these dates for an autumn excursion to scenic Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas, an area managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Backpack on trails parallel to a river fringed by high, sometimes dramatic, limestone bluffs. This park is more than scenery. The history of a hardscrabble valley is preserved through historic structures and cemeteries connected by trails.  Bus transportation allows us to explore linear segments along the river and its side hollows (no out-and-back routes) and the dry fall season allows hiking across the river via shallow fords.   This trip will depart near 9 p.m. on a Wednesday night and return at about the same time on Sunday night.   Bus trip leader: Bill Beach Send Email 214-662-3224